Carpet-stretcher



UNITELk STATES PATENT CFFICE..

FRANCIS B. MCCABE, CF LEWISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARPET-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,467, dated January5, 1892.

Application iled January 20, 1891.

To all whorn/ t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS B. MCCABE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lewistown, in the county ot' Mifin and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new andv useful Improvements inCarpet- Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the inven-l tion, such as will enableothers skilled in ,the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. Y Y' p This invention relates to improvements incarpet-stretchers.

It has for its object to render the stretching and tacking of a carpetan easy operation,` to render the implement cheap, simple inconstruction, and light in weight, and to prevent injury to thenap ofthe carpet.

The invention involves certain structural devices which will behereinafter described in this specication and of which the novelty vwillbe denitelypointed out in the appended claims. A

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure lis a side elevation ofan apparatus embodying the combinedcarpet-stretcher and tack-hammer, two positions of the operating devicesbeing shown, one in full and one in dottedlines. Fig. 2 isa plan Viewpartly broken away. Fig. 3 is adetail sectional view.

The frame of the device comprises two end posts A and B, one of whichisprovidedwith a spur b, which may be readily driven into the floor.Between these two posts extend longitudinal bars C and D, the lower oneof which is provided on' its upper. face with a rack or series of teeth,the two bars forming a longitudinal slotin the frame. Thestretching-lever E is provided with a transverse stud or projection H,which enters the slot between the two horizontal bars C and D, the leverbeing confined in position by a plate I, through which the stud Hprojects,vthe plate being held in position by means of a screw K. Theparts are so proportioned that the plate, while preventing the lever Efrom lateral displacement, permits it to be shifted longitudinally ofthe bars C and D-that'is, the whole stretching apparatus is capable of asliding movement along the bars C and D. Upon the stud Serial No.378,406. (No model.)

` of the lever E opposite the row of teeth which engage the carpet isprovided with a projecting stud, upon which is'pivoted a pawl G, thefinger g of said pawl extending through the space between the bars C andD, as indicated in Fig. 2. Upon the pawl G is pivoted a lockpawl O;which is also provided with a projecti-ng nger n, extending th rough theslot or space between the bars C and D. In operation this pawl lies backagainst the side of lever E, and, when the latter is-thrown to theright, rides upwardly along the side of said lever until it strikes theunder side of the bar D, when it arrests further tilt to the right ofthe lever E. The slot in the pawl h permits the lever E and its studl Hto have a certain freedom of movement, enabling the stud to assumedifferent positions in operation as the teeth f are drawn forward whenstretching the carpet. As these teeth, when the lever Eis shifted,describe an arc of a circle, it is evident that either the frame mustrise or pivotal point H must rise. The slot inthe paw-1 77, inclinesslightly forward and is corrugated on that portion of its wall whichbears against stud H when the carpet is being stretched. This slopingand roughened wall of the slot prevents stud H from slipping suddenlyupward when the lever is being pressed, which would tend to disengagethe teeth from the carpet and injure the nap of the same. The upper partof the lever E is adapted to be connected with a socket L, formedin thehandle of the tack-hammer M. Thehammer thus becomes an actuating-arm ofthe lever E, and after the stretching operation has been completed maybe slipped off from said lever and used to drive the tacks through thecarpet. In operation the spur b is driven into the floor` and the leveris rocked backward and forward. On the forward movementthat is, to theright in Fig. l-the pawl G IOO catches upon the teeth of the rack C andthe lever and its connected parts move to the right, the pawl 7L ridingover the teeth of the rack, the lock-pawl O gradually rising until itengages with the underside of bar D, when tilting of the lever to theright will be arrested. The teeth f are then pressed into the .carpetand the lever swung to the left. The pawl h now checks any bodilymovement of the lever and its connecting parts to the left; but as theupper portion of the lever swings to the left the teeth f move to theright, stretching the carpet, and the stud II rises in the slot formedin the pawl h. The pawl G 4is shifted to the right and rides over one ormore teeth of the rack and locks upon a tooth, preventing the teeth ffrom slipping to the left. By a reversal ot' movement of lever E pawl 7Lis shifted to the right to a new position, so that when the lever E isagain thrown to the left the teeth f will be given a still furtherprogressive movement toward the front end of the frame. It will thus beseen that the pawls G and 7L engage automatically with the rack ineffecting a progressive movement of the lever. The tack-hammer M isprovided with a hammer and tack-lifter at'one end of the handle and arecess or socket at the other end to slip over the upper end of thelever E, thus permitting leverage to be increased, reducing the compassof the apparatus for packing, and having a tack-ham mer always withinreach while the operation of laying the carpet is being conducted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination ot' a longitudinally-slottedframe provided with a pointed spur at one end, a stretching-leverprovided with teeth adapted to engage the carpet, a transverse stud onthe stretchinglever, projecting through the slot, a plate connected tosaid stud on the opposite side of the frame to prevent lateraldisplacement of the lever and permit longitudinal shifting, a rackmounted on the frame, and push and pull pawls carried by the lever andco-operating with the rack for imparting a progressive movement to thelever.

2. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination of the slotted main frame, thelever E, provided with a toothed bar F for engaging the carpet, studI-I, projecting through the slot of the main frame, slotted pawl h,pivotally supported on said frame, and pawl G forimparting a progressivemovement to the toothed bar and maintaining the teeth in engagement withthe carpet.

3. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination of the slotted main frame, thelever E, provided with a toothed bar F for engaging the carpet, stud H,slotted pawl h, the slot being inclined and provided with a roughenedwall, as described, and pawl G for imparting a progressive movement tothe toothed bar and maintaining the teeth in engagement with the carpet.

4. In a carpet-stretcher, the combination of the slotted main frame,stretching-lever provided with teeth for engaging the carpet, transversestud H, projecting into the slot and confining-plate I, pnwls h and G,and lock-pawl O, adapted to limit the throw of the lever and lock itwhenthe carpet is stretched.

5. In a carpet-stretcher, the supportingframe provided with the pointedspur at one end, a stretching-lever carrying on its lower arm teeth forengaging the carpet, a pivotal stud attached to the lever, alaterally-movable support provided with an upwardly-extending slot inwhich said stud is supported, whereby the teeth may yield vertically, soas to clear the floor during the stretching operation," and push andpull pawls co-operating with a rack on the frame to impart a progressivemovement to the removable support and the stretching-lever when thelatter is reciprocated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS B. MCCABE. Witnesses:

S. J. BRIsBIN, JAMES S. RAKERD.

